Rise in Earth's temperature by 5 degrees Celsius can be threatening for coastal areas: Scientists

Climate scientists revealed that a rise of upto 5 degrees in Earth's temperature can raise the sea water levels by upto 2 metres. [Representational image]Reuters

Coastal cities around the world are likely to experience a water rise of 20cm (8 inches) from the sea level if there is a spike in temperature by two degrees Celsius, according to a study.

Norway and North America are likely to get more affected by this danger, as per a report by Daily Mail. The researchers revealed that the danger can be worst if a further rise will be observed in the temperature. Coastal areas will be affected adversely by the sea level rise because of the climate change.

Cities like New York, Tokyo, Miami and Guangzhou will lose its ground to the sea water if the global temperature exceeds up to five degrees Celsius or more. These climate changes will take place quicker than observed so far.

Various nations across the globe have taken steps to limit a rise of more than two degrees Celsius in the temperature above the prevailing pre-industrial levels.

According to the latest study conducted by the climate scientists using predictive models, an international team of researchers, which includes the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool, analysed various models of warming above this limit.

"If warming continues above 2 °C, then, by 2100, sea level will be rising faster than at any time during human civilization," the authors of this study stated, as published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Another finding revealed that a rise of five degree Celsius with a sea level of 1200 would elevate the sea level by approximately one metre (40 inches).

"In Guangzhou alone, rapid expansion has led to almost 6 per cent of the population building on land previously unoccupied due to the risk of flooding, says the team, with people living just half a metre above sea level," a Daily Mail report quotes.

A rise of around twice of this to a1.8 metres (70 inches) is likely to be observed at around 80 percent of the coastline, as per the study.